Wyndham Clark, the 2023 U.S. Open’s reigning champion, has made headlines recently for reasons beyond his prowess on the links. Now he’s making headlines for exciting reasons on the course. Clark had a painful lapse during the last round of the competition. He was so mad that he destroyed his driver in a single swing. The unfortunate and tragic incident on hole 16. After Clark’s tee shot started going right, his club impacted the traction pad behind the tee box, which broke his driver head off the shaft and pierced a hole through the sign.
The backdrop for this tragic incident was a tough baptismal day for Clark. He fought back after making four consecutive bogeys on the front side. Ultimately, that led to him finishing Sunday’s round at 3-over 74. His strong play earned him a share of 50th overall, ending the week at 4-over for the tournament. He finished an incredible 15 strokes back of winner Scottie Scheffler.
You could feel Clark’s frustration after taking a bogey just prior to his tee shot 16. At that point, he was 3-over for the tournament and the pressure of beating Jack Nicklaus was already settling in. Yet the fact that a volunteer holding an American flag just a few feet away increased the chilling nature of his actions.
In the wake of the scary incident, Clark posted on social media to show how sorry he was. He accepted the fact that his behavior was not up to the standards he holds himself to as a professional golfer.
“I would like to sincerely apologize for my behavior yesterday on Hole 16.” – Wyndham Clark
He further elaborated on his mindset during the round, stating, “As professionals, we are expected to remain professional even when frustrated and I unfortunately let my emotions get the best of me. My actions were uncalled for and completely inappropriate, making it clear that I have things I need to work on.”
Clark looked back on his own standards, acknowledging that he did not meet them throughout this tournament.
“I hold myself to a high standard, trying to always play for something bigger than myself, and yesterday I fell short of those standards. For that I am truly sorry.” – Wyndham Clark
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